The Catalan parliament voted to ban bullfighting in an emotional session packed full of deputies, activists and observers, says the BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Barcelona.

In the end the vote passed by an absolute majority - a wider margin of victory than animal rights campaigners had dared hope for.

Sixty-eight deputies voted in favour of the ban; 55 were opposed.

"We had three different speeches prepared, and in the end we could read out the one for a big victory," laughed Jordi Casamitjana, who was heavily involved in pushing for this vote.

He admits he had expected a closer call.

"It means the politicians here actually get it. Bullfighting has no place in the 21st Century. I could not hold back my tears," he said.

He was not the only one. As the result was announced, those supporting the ban leapt and shouted for joy. Alongside them, some of the losers cried too - in frustration.

But activists collected 180,000 signatures in order to get this initiative off the ground and into parliament - and they were determined to enjoy the moment.

They are trying to get independence and they think if they highlight differences it will helpAlbert Rivera, Pro-bullfight Catalan deputy

"I'm over the moon!" enthused Deborah Parris, who worked with the campaign group Prou (Enough, in Catalan), to ban the corrida, as the bullfight is known.

"There is incredible suffering in a bullfight. Six bulls are killed each time, not one, and they are tortured for 20 minutes," she said. "It's not right to pay money to go and watch that kind of cruelty."

Waning popularity

During the debate, deputies in parliament heard very different views - as parties that back bullfighting described an age-old tradition and an art form that must be preserved.

They also argued against a formal ban on principle, saying individuals should be left to decide whether to attend a corrida.

There were warnings too, about the economic impact of stopping the fights, both in lost ticket sales and compensation for those who depend on bullfighting for their livelihood. That amount will be decided, in the coming months.

Image caption
The anti-bullfight activists deny a wider political agenda

The bullfighting lobby failed to convince though, and the bloodsport will now be banned throughout Catalonia from January 2012.

The practice has been waning in popularity here for many years.

A mixture of animal rights activism, a ban on child attendance and politics has left ring owners struggling to fill seats.

There is just one active bullring now in Barcelona, and an average of 15 fights each year.

Madrid stages eight times that number. Many of the spectators are tourists.

Political agenda?

Although the corrida has deep roots in Catalonia, nationalists here now see it as a "Spanish" fiesta.

"They are trying to get independence and they think if they highlight differences it will help," said Albert Rivera, a deputy with the "mixed group" in parliament who voted to keep bullfighting alive.